SHOUTOUT and RIP Paul "Double Rainbow" Vasquez: You were a unique spark in this world

 

Paul (Bear) Vasquez, AKA the “Double Rainbow Guy,” gained worldwide fame when his ecstatic reaction to a double rainbow went viral in 2010. He lived quietly near Yosemite, uploading his love of nature and spontaneous wonder in thousands of videos.

Buuuuuuuut apparently before his death (in 2020), he arranged to have some 15 years’ worth of pre-recorded content published on his YouTube channel, Yosemitebear62, ensuring his spirit and joy would continue to reach fans.

WHAT.A. F**k!ng. G

In case you're interested in his story we got CHU!!!!! (continue reading)

Over the years, Vasquez worked a number of jobs, including long-haul trucking, but he is best remembered for the way he lived, not the jobs he held. He grew his own food, lived modestly, and spent much of his time absorbing the beauty of the natural world around him. He documented his life through videos, not for fame but for the sake of sharing what he saw as art or personal memory. Even though he didn’t have much money, he often said he felt rich because of the view from his land and the peace that came with being close to nature. After reading about his initial death VIA the image that kicked off this article I decided to do a deep dive into PAUL and actually learned QUITE a bit, but mainly that we would ABSOLUTELY jive together on our viewpoints about the universe. Seemed like a solid and humble dude, something we all aspire too.... HERE'S WHAT I LEARNED:

Paul “Bear” Vasquez, known online as Yosemitebear62, was born on September 5, 1962, in East Los Angeles, California. Before his rise to internet fame, he lived a varied life that included working for the California Conservation Corps and serving as a firefighter for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Around the mid-1980s, he chose a quieter and more self-reliant lifestyle and moved near Yosemite National Park, eventually settling on an eight-acre plot of land in Mariposa, California. He built a simple life there, embracing solitude, nature, and the sweeping landscape surrounding him.

On January 8, 2010, Vasquez recorded what would become one of the most iconic viral videos on the internet: the “Double Rainbow” video. Shot from his property near Yosemite, it captured a bright, vivid double rainbow stretching across the sky. What set it apart was his emotional reaction — laughing, crying, and expressing pure wonder. His exclamations, including “Double rainbow all the way across the sky!” and “What does it mean?” became instantly recognizable. The video initially gained traction when Jimmy Kimmel tweeted it, and it quickly spread across the internet. By 2025 it had been viewed over 51 million times on YouTube (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Rainbow_(viral_video)).

Despite the sudden attention, Vasquez remained humble. He continued living on his land near Yosemite, making videos about his daily life and nature. He occasionally participated in media appearances and commercials for companies such as Microsoft, Smartwater, and Delta Air Lines, but fame never changed his lifestyle. He stayed grounded, grateful, and focused on the connection he felt with the natural world. Many people who followed his channel described him as joyful, sincere, and deeply appreciative of beauty. To him, sharing his videos was a way to capture and preserve moments; he once said viewers couldn’t look at a rainbow without thinking of him.

Paul Vasquez died on May 9, 2020, at the age of 57 in a hospital in Mariposa, California. In the days leading up to his death, he reported on Facebook that he was feeling unwell with symptoms such as fever and difficulty breathing and had been tested for COVID-19, though no official cause of death was publicly confirmed (https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/paul-l-vasquez-death-double-rainbow-video-viral-age-cause-a9507961.html). His passing was mourned across the world, and his legacy lives on in the unforgettable moment of awe he shared — a reminder to slow down, look up at the sky, and feel something true.